Where is the proof that Common Core works?

In its rush to coerce states to adopt the new Common Core standards, the federal government forgot a major step that is always associated with viable educational reform.

Nobody ever bothered to field test the standards and then study the results to see that it really does what the educational fascists in the department of education say that it does.

The Common Core is touted as the be-all and end-all to educational programs, one that will virtually guarantee that all students are ready for either higher education or the world of work. Think about that for a moment. It is a tall order for any program and one that is most likely not attainable.

Let’s say for a minute, however, that if it works, it is a worthy goal. Nobody would argue with the goal.

Then, why are administrators, teachers, students and parents so unhappy in the wake of the first testing season under the new curriculum?

Let me count the ways.

First of all, New York State rushed into the curriculum and the draconian testing program that comes with it.

The students were just not prepared for either the material on the test. In was never taught, never tested for, never reviewed. In fact, in the great majority of schools, the books and material for the curriculum itself did not get to the schools until February. The books and material still hasn’t arrived in many schools.

So while students were well-trained for previous versions of the test to pick out a main idea, use context skills, compare and contrast, listen and report, and use facts to infer outcomes, they were not ready for the higher-level skills needed for the test. You might say that the students should have been able to understand the skills on their own, but then you probably have not been in a public school classroom since you graduated from high school.